Saturday 28th July 1917
Last evening,
2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, in the front line east of Zillebeke
received a report that the enemy was evacuating his front line trenches north
of Ypres. Accordingly, at half-past midnight this morning two strong patrols were
ordered to go out and reconnoitre the enemy's front line to ascertain if they
were withdrawing on the front opposite the Battalion.
Lieutenant Jacob [X550/1/81]
Patrols from
A and B Companies went out. A Company patrol, under Lieutenant G R Jacob, was 3
officers, 14 non-commissioned officers and 43 men. Each man carried two bombs
and 220 rounds of small arms ammunition. Nearly all men had shovels and two
boxes of bombs were sent to the second line to be carried up as a Company
Reserve. The Company went out into No Man’s Land under their platoon sergeants.
Second Lieutenant Collins [X550/1/81]
Jeffrey
Trench was safely reached and men came back with the message that it was clear.
On this supposition Second Lieutenant I T M Collins and three men were sent out
to link up with them and move on to Jeffrey Reserve Trench. He sent back a
runner with a message. The runner was wounded and lost the message. All the other
patrols in Jeffrey Trench came back without orders and it is assumed that
Second Lieutenant Collins is left now with two men somewhere in front of
Jeffrey Trench(1).
Captain Holbrook [X550/1/81]
B Company
patrol under Captain W J Holbrook consisted of one other officer and forty
other ranks with the intention of occupying the enemy line as shown above. With
this party were two Lewis Gun Teams. The sentry on duty in an advanced sap reported
six Very lights fired from 11 pm to midnight from the enemy’s first line,
second line, and also behind the ridge, this was confirmed by Captain
Holbrook’s own observation.
He despatched
immediately a patrol of five men. On returning they reported having reached
enemy wire wire roughly at the spot marked on the map by a pink cross. A Very
Light was put up and several forms were seen moving in the trench. They were
this time lying on the parapet. As only half of the party returned Captain
Holbrook sent out a second patrol to find the remainder. Both parties however
returned individually but their reports were identical, additionally one party
heard mumbling in the enemy front line and movement on their duck boards. The
other party was sniped at on their way back.
At 1.15 a.m.
British artillery shelled the enemy’s front line system and fifteen minutes
later machine guns fired into No Man’s Land. At 1.45 the battalion on the left
of the Bedfords reported that none of them had gone over from their front and
said the enemy was still there. At 2 a.m. the enemy traversed the whole of Captain
Holbrook’s front line some few times with machine-guns so he dedcided not to go
forward.
At 2.30 a.m.,
however, he sent out two patrols each of five men, with instructions to
establish themselves in the enemy's front line. Both parties going to different
parts of the trench reported they were fired on by machine-guns and rifles.
Captain Holbrook got into touch with the Trench Mortar Officer who arranged to
put a barrage on the enemy system from 5 a.m. to 5.15 a.m. This he did, and at
5.15 a.m. our own Artillery barrage opened. The enemy then opened heavy
artillery fire on the front line system combined with machine-gun and rifle
fire.
Captain
Holbrook told me on the telephone: “I did not consider it advisable for a party
to leave the trench until 5.35 a.m. when matters had eased somewhat. This they
did under cover of smoke and dust and got through the wire and on to Bosche
parapet. A sentry on their left immediately shot at them, shouted, and our
patrol heard answering shouts in the near neighbourhood. They retired and
reached our front line without casualties”.
So it seems
the enemy is not making any retrograde movement.
Yesterday
1st/5th Battalion in Palestine carried out another raid on Umbrella Hill. We
are still awaiting details.
Source: X550/3/WD
(1) He seems to
have been taken prisoner, at any rate he is not listed as dead by Commonwealth
War Graves Commission.
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